GR-55 - My GR-55 Library

Started by jwhitcomb3, November 09, 2014, 10:42:18 AM

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jwhitcomb3

This GR-55 library of presets has evolved continuously over nearly four years, and will likely continue to do so.

Because of the GR-55's slow preset change time, most of these presets let you get multiple sounds and/or a range of tones. The preset titles describe the sound and/or the primary controller. The Memo fields in the GR Librarian may offer hints on how to control these presets as you play. Here's a partial decoder ring:

Gk: The GK rotary controller
S1: GK Switch 1
S2: GK Switch 2
Exp: The expression pedal (LED off)
ExpOn: The expression pedal (LED on)
ExpSw: Expression Pedal switch
Ctl: Control Pedal

The S1/S2 controls (and others) will only work as described if you haven't overridden them with a global setting in the System page.

For presets with "SV" in the title, the GK will crossfade several parameters, often on the guitar amp. These usually go beyond just crossfading volume and gain, as I like to roll back the high end as the gain increases, and to add some mid and low body as the tone cleans up. Since the COSM amp models are responsive to your guitar's volume and tone controls, you can get a very wide range of useable sounds with the SV presets. S1 often kicks in a distortion pedal, and S2 the COSM amp solo. SV presets controlling the magnetic pickups are intended to have constant volume across the GK sweep (not always successful). SV COSM tone presets roll off the volume at the bottom of the range.

Many of the guitar presets have both a COSM guitar and the magnetic pickups active, so you can mix and match your tone source with the GK and/or guitar volume knob. I usually let you toggle between two COSM guitar pickups, typically with S1, but sometimes by slightly rolling back the GK volume.

I usually roll my guitar's tone control back, so you may find the magnetic pickup presets to be bright. I like to be able to use the tone control to both boost and cut treble, rather than just cut.

Delay is my most used effect, so many of these presets use CTL as tap tempo and Exp and/or ExpOn for delay level. No really high gain presets here.

Combination presets (with "Cmb" or "Combi" in the name) feature string splits and layers. I hybrid pick, so these have a guitar sound layered with a bass on the low E and A strings, and some PCM synth (usually a piano or EP) on the high DGBE strings. Often the PCM sample or octave can be toggled on the fly. The PCM tones can often be switched out with the ExpSw. If "Nsh" is in the title, the high string PCM strings are octave split, which give close voicing on the high strings (great for jazz). Comb presets don't sound great strummed, but work well for fingerpicking or hybrid picking.

Many of these presets have been uploaded here in one form or another, so there may be similarly named presets in some of the aggregate collections here on the board. It is likely that these presets have changed over time. I wish there was a way to timestamp them! I have made an effort to keep the volume level consistent across the library. For the most part these presets were developed from scratch, with many ideas and much inspiration from the talented folks on this board.

Jonathan Whitcomb
New Hampshire, USA
November, 2014